History
Patrell Engineering Group, Inc. was founded in 1990, combining the expertise of its principals, Douglas Ferrell and Nancy Patton-Ferrell. Since its inception, the firm has specialized in engineering design of recreational water systems, hardscapes, and manufactured rock structures. Recognized as a trusted partner in the water and amusement industries, Patrell Engineering Group is known for transforming visionary concepts into innovative, high-quality projects that exceed client expectations. With decades of experience and a portfolio of creative, cost-effective attractions, the firm has established a strong reputation for excellence in the complex and demanding field of water and rockwork engineering.
Nancy Patton-Ferrell P.E.
Nancy, a registered civil engineer with over 45 years of experience, has a general engineering and project management background in the design of amusement park and zoo rockwork, and specialized themed structures. She has been involved in the amusement park and zoo industry for the past 30 years, specializing in the structural design of rockwork support structures, pools, fountains, water features, and dry play structures. As a principal engineer, Ms. Patton-Ferrell's specific area of concentration within the firm is structural design.
She has comprehensive, high-quality experience in the large rockwork structural engineering field, having spent years designing and overseeing complex rock formations for major projects. Her expertise spans structural integrity, natural aesthetics, and innovative construction techniques, ensuring durability and visual authenticity in every design. With a deep understanding of construction methods and engineering principles, Ms. Patton-Ferrell has played a pivotal role in delivering large-scale rockwork structures that blend technical excellence with artistic vision. Additionally, she has extensive field experience with large rockwork projects, further reinforcing her ability to bridge design and implementation seamlessly.
Project Engineers:
Monica Knudsen
Monica is a registered civil engineer with 20 years of experience designing both rockwork and recreational water elements. She specializes in water park structural tower design and steel frame design. Her focus is on delivering calculations and drawings that are able to be easily permitted for construction.
John Ferrell
John is a registered civil engineer with over 18 years of experience in rockwork and recreational water structural design. He specializes in BIM design and structural modeling for both rockwork support steel frames, pool piping and LSS piping for aquariums. He is able to coordinate and mitigate clashes in high profile BIM projects and deliver a BIM model and construction drawings that are easy to understand and follow for construction crews. He also is responsible for the pool certification surveys.
Kirsty Wouden
Kirsty is a project engineer with over 14 years of experience in rockwork and recreational water design. Her specialization is in rockwork design and construction drawings. She also has extensive experience in the design of play elements for splashpads, theme park faux foliage and large trees as well as swimming pool design.
Principals:
Rick McGuire
Rick, a registered civil engineer with over 45 years of experience, has an extensive and diverse background in the civil engineering profession. His ongoing contributions to the field of aesthetic and recreational water feature design have allowed him to be deeply involved in all aspects of civil engineering, including water features, commercial swimming pools, themed water parks, industrial water storage reservoirs, pump stations, water transfer systems, filtration and disinfection systems, and open channel hydraulics. Throughout his career, Mr. McGuire has played a key role in the design of numerous residential, commercial, industrial, municipal, and recreational amenities. His leadership experience includes supervising large engineering and design teams, managing the administration of a $12 million-per-year design-build firm, and overseeing the implementation of CADD systems. His professional expertise spans municipal, private, and military sectors, and he has been instrumental in the conceptualization, design, and engineering of more than 1,000 water-related systems. His work includes developing complex structures, sitework, and support facilities, further establishing his reputation as a leader in the industry
Douglas R. Ferrell P.E.
Doug, a registered civil engineer with over 45 years of experience in the aquatics and amusement industry, is a distinguished expert in the design and construction of complex water features. Throughout his career, he has played a key role in hundreds of aquatic and water feature projects, seamlessly integrating engineering precision with creative innovation. His extensive field experience on projects worldwide has solidified his reputation as a leader in the industry, known for delivering cutting-edge, high-performance water attractions that set new standards in design and functionality.
Andy
Andy is a project engineer with over 10 years of experience in the design of commercial fountains, water features and swimming pools. He also specializes in the design of layout concepts and piping systems for artificial lakes.